Apparatus and method for automatically detecting presence of external device in mobile terminal

ABSTRACT

In an apparatus and method for automatically detecting the presence of an external device in a port of a mobile terminal, the external device is automatically enabled without the additional operation of the mobile terminal when plugged into a jack. The mobile terminal may be safeguarded against severe damage being done thereto by mistakenly choosing options to enable an external device while an earphone/microphone set is plugged in the jack of a mobile terminal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/749,788, filed Dec. 30, 2003, which claims priority and the benefitof Korean Patent Application No. 2003-24455, filed Apr. 17, 2003, bothof which are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as iffully set forth herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method forautomatically detecting the presence of an external device in a mobileterminal; and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method forautomatically detecting the presence of a external device in a jack portof a mobile terminal wherein the external device is automaticallyenabled without the additional operation of the mobile terminal whenplugged into the jack port.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

The mobile terminal includes all portable terminals capable of sendingand receiving sound, characters and images through mobile channels, forexample, a Personal Communication Services (PCS) end, Personal DigitalAssistant (PDA) and Smart phone.

Nowadays, most mobile terminals currently on the market have a built-incolor Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), making a wide variety of additionalfunctions available to the public. Furthermore, a mobile terminal havinga built-in digital camera is now commonplace, largely because a colorLCD can be best put into practice in the photograph-related industry.

Until recently, users in general played only a passive role in makingchoices between functions available in a mobile terminal. Now, it isoften the case that the mobile terminal having the built-in digitalcamera enables a user to capture any image of his choice as well as totransmit an image of his own anytime anywhere to anyone.

On the other hand, as for the use of a built-in digital camera, a devicecalled a strobo comes in handy when the luminescence of a place at whicha photograph is to be taken is not suitable for the picture-takingpurpose. However, most mobile terminals having the built-in digitalcamera currently on the market are not equipped with such strobo. It ispartly due to a widely-held fallacy that the size of a mobile terminalmatters more to consumers than its functionality and practicality whenit comes to deciding on what to purchase.

Accordingly, current trends are such that external strobos are widely inuse. The standard course of action in using the external strobo isdescribed as follows. First, options of choice for the use of theexternal strobo are set. Then, the strobo is plugged in the earphonejack, bearing in mind that the earphone jack is designed to accept aconnection from an earphone.

However, considerable inconvenience may be caused by having to gothrough the same set-up process all over again when using an externalstrobo. In addition to the above, an electric surge caused by mistakenlychoosing options to activate a strobo when an earphone/microphone set isplugged in an earphone jack instead could do extensive damage to amobile terminal.

SUMMARY

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus andmethod for automatically detecting the presence of an external device ina jack of a mobile terminal wherein the external device is automaticallyenabled without the additional operation of the mobile terminal whenplugged into the jack port.

Additional features of the invention will be set forth in thedescription which follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose an apparatus forautomatically detecting the presence of a strobo in an earphone jackport of a mobile terminal, the apparatus including: a connection unit toelectrically connect an earphone/microphone set or a strobo to themobile terminal and to generate level information if one of anearphone/microphone set or a strobe is connected to the mobile terminal;a sense unit to determine whether the earphone/microphone set or thestrobo is electrically connected to the connection unit according to thelevel information and to generate an indication signal containing adetermination result; a main process unit to generate a control signalto control the earphone/microphone set or the strobo according theindication signal; and a strobo control unit to control strobo byreceiving the control signal from the main process unit.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose a method forautomatically detecting the presence of a strobo in an earphone jackport of a mobile terminal, the method including the steps of: a)obtaining level information from a connection unit; b) determiningwhether an earphone/microphone set or a strobo is electrically connectedto the connection unit according to the level information; c) enabling astrobo control unit if the strobo is electrically connected to theconnection unit as a determination result of step b); and d) enablingthe earphone/microphone set control unit if the earphone/microphone setis electrically connected to the connection unit as a determinationresult of step b).

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and areintended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and features of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following description of the preferredembodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an earphone/microphone set plug capableof electrically connecting an earphone/microphone set to an earphonejack in a mobile terminal in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a strobo plug to be plugged in anearphone jack in a mobile terminal in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an apparatus for automatically detectingthe presence of a strobo in an earphone jack port of a mobile terminalin accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for automatically detectingthe presence of a strobo in an earphone jack port of a mobile terminalin accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

The invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown.This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms andshould not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure isthorough, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to thoseskilled in the art. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes oflayers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. Like referencenumerals in the drawings denote like elements.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an earphone/microphone set plug capableof electrically connecting an earphone/microphone set to an earphonejack in a mobile terminal in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, an earphone/microphone set plug includes amicrophone end 11, a speaker end 12 and a ground end 13.

The microphone end 11 is designed to transmit a voice signal through themicrophone/charge-control signal end of the earphone jack on a mobileterminal with a built-in digital camera. The speaker end 12 receives thevoice signal via the speaker/shot control end of the earphone jack onthe mobile terminal. The ground end 13 is connected to a ground end ofan earphone jack on the mobile terminal.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a strobo plug to be plugged in anearphone jack in a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the strobo plug includes a charge-control signalend 21, a shot end 22 and a ground end 23.

The charge-control signal end 21 comes into contact with themicrophone/charge-control signal end of the earphone jack on the mobileterminal to perform a charging-up process. The shot end 22 receives theshot signal to perform the discharge of electricity. The shot end 22 iscontrolled by a Mobile Station Modem (MSM) and is connected to thespeaker/shot control end of the earphone jack on the mobile terminal.The ground end 23 is connected to the ground end of the earphone jack onthe mobile terminal.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an apparatus for automatically detectingthe presence of a strobo in an earphone jack port of a mobile terminalaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the apparatus includes an earphone-microphoneset/strobo connection unit 31 and an earphone-microphone set/strobosensing unit 32, a send/end control unit 33 and a mobile station modem36. The earphone-microphone set/strobo connection unit 31 includes amicrophone/charge-control signal end, a speaker/shot end, a switch endand a ground end.

The microphone/charge-control signal end provides a connection to eitherthe charge-control signal end 21 of a strobo plug or the microphone end11 of an earphone/microphone set plug. The speaker/shot end provides aconnection to either the shot end 22 of a strobo plug or the speaker end12 of an earphone/microphone set plug. The switch end functions as anopen-closed switch. The earphone-microphone set/strobo connection unit31 with a ground end provides a connection to either the ground end 23of a strobo plug or the ground end 13 of an earphone/microphone setplug. The earphone-microphone set/strobo connection unit 31 functions asa coupling of an earphone/microphone set plug and a strobo plug.

In addition, the apparatus further includes an earphone-microphoneset/strobo sensing unit 32, a send/end control unit 33, a strobo controlunit 34, an earphone/microphone set control unit 35, and the MSM 36.

The earphone-microphone set/strobo sensing unit 32 detects which of thefollowing, an earphone/microphone set or a strobo, is connected to theearphone-microphone set/strobo connection unit 31, based on theopen-closed status of a switch end. The detection result is forwarded tothe MSM 36. The send/end control unit 33 processes a signal indicatingthe beginning and the end of a phone call. The send/end control unit 33passes the level information on to the MSM 36. The strobo control unit34 controls a strobo in accordance with either a charge-control signalor a shot signal transmitted from the MSM 36 based on the levelinformation obtained from a microphone/charge-control signal end. Theearphone/microphone set control unit 35 redirects a voice signal emittedby the MSM 36 to the speaker end 12 of an earphone/microphone set. Here,upon receiving a signal from the send/end control unit 33, the MSM 36finds out about when a phone call begins or ends based on the levelinformation. The earphone/microphone set control unit 35 redirects asignal received from a microphone end 11 of the earphone/microphone setto the MSM 36. The MSM 36 receives a signal indicating which of thefollowing, namely an earphone-microphone set or a strobo, is connectedto the earphone-microphone set/strobo connection unit 31. Upon receiptof the level information from a send/end control unit 33, the MSM 36accordingly enables either the strobo control unit 34 or theearphone/microphone set control unit 35.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for automatically detectingthe presence of a strobo in an earphone jack port of a mobile terminalaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, at step 5401, an earphone-microphone set/strobo sensing unit 32determines if a switch end of an earphone-microphone set/stroboconnection unit 31 has an open status. The switch end waits until it hasan open status. When neither an earphone/microphone set nor a strobo ispresent in the earphone jack port, the switch end is said to have aclosed status. On the other hand, at step 5402, the earphone-microphoneset/strobo sensing unit 32 informs the mobile station modem 36 that oneof the following, an earphone/microphone set or a strobo, is connectedto the earphone-microphone set/strobo connection unit 31.

Then, at step 5403, a send/end control unit 33 sends out levelinformation to a mobile station modem 36, where the level information isobtained from the microphone/charge-control signal end of theearphone-microphone set/strobo connection unit 31. Following on from theabove, at step 5404, the mobile station modem 36 decides on the identityof a device being plugged into the earphone jack port, namely anearphone/microphone set or a strobo, based on the level informationobtained from the send/end control unit 33.

Depending on the identity of the device being plugged into the earphonejack port, at step 5405, the mobile station modem 36 enables a strobocontrol unit 34 to control the strobo if a strobo is plugged into theearphone jack port. The mobile station modem 36 enables anearphone/microphone set control unit 35 to control theearphone/microphone set if an earphone/microphone set is plugged.

Here, going into a little more detail about the decision-makingmethodology used by a mobile station modem 36 at the step 5404, theidentity of a device being plugged into the earphone jack of the mobileis decided upon based on level information. When a strobo is connectedto the earphone-microphone set/strobo connection unit 31, a low level,0.5 V, results. This is largely due to the impedance characteristic ofthe interior charge circuit of a strobo. On the contrary, a high levelof voltage, DC voltage ranging from 2.7V to 3.0V, results if anearphone/microphone set is plugged into the earphone jack port.

Assume that the identity of a device connected to theearphone-microphone set/strobo connection unit 31 is found to be anearphone-microphone set. Assume that a user enables the send/end controlunit 33 so as to make a phone call, thereby sending out signals carryinga low level status to a mobile station modem 36.

Upon receipt of a signal with a low level status, the mobile stationmodem 36 enables the earphone/microphone set control unit 35 withoutbeing misled into enabling the strobo control unit 34. This is largelyowing to the fact that the mobile station modem 36 is already aware thatan earphone-microphone set/strobo connection unit 31 is connected withan earphone-microphone set.

In addition, the embodiments can be applied to a mobile terminal in sucha way that a user may make a phone call using the built-in speaker andthe built-in microphone of the mobile terminal and anearphone-microphone set.

As described above, the use of a strobo is enabled via the earphone jackof a mobile terminal while being compatible with a mobile terminal inrelation to making a phone call through a built-in speaker and abuilt-in microphone thereof as well as an earphone/microphone set.

The mobile terminal may be safeguarded against severe damage being donethereto by mistakenly choosing options to activate a strobo withoutknowing that an earphone/microphone set is plugged in the earphone jackof a mobile terminal.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variation can be made in the present invention withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it isintended that the present invention cover the modifications andvariations of this invention provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. An apparatus for automatically detecting the presence of an externaldevice in a port of a mobile terminal, comprising: a connection unit toelectrically connect an external device to the mobile terminal, and tosend level information according to a type of external device connectedto the mobile terminal, wherein the level information has a differentvoltage level according to the type of connected external device; aswitch end to identify that the external device is electricallyconnected to the connection unit if the switch end is open; a sensor todetermine the type of external device electrically connected to theconnection unit according to the voltage level of the level informationand to generate an indication signal containing a determination result;a main processor to generate a control signal to control the externaldevice according to the indication signal; and an external devicecontroller to control the external device, if the external device isconnected to the mobile terminal, by receiving the control signal fromthe main processor, wherein the external device controller enables theconnected external device automatically if the external device isconnected to the connection unit.
 2. The apparatus as recited in claim1, wherein the port is an earphone jack port.
 3. The apparatus asrecited in claim 2, wherein the level information has a first voltagelevel if an earphone/microphone set is connected to the mobile terminaland a second voltage level if an external device other than anearphone/microphone set is connected to the mobile terminal.
 4. A methodfor automatically detecting the presence of an external device in a portof a mobile terminal, comprising: detecting that a switch end is in anopen position to indicate that the external device is connected to themobile terminal, and obtaining level information from a connection unit,wherein the level information has a different voltage level according toa type of connected external device; determining the type of externaldevice electrically connected to the connection unit according to thevoltage level of the level information; and enabling an external devicecontrol unit if the external device is electrically connected to theconnection unit.
 5. An apparatus for automatically detecting thepresence of an external device in a port of a mobile terminal,comprising: a connection unit to electrically connect an external deviceto the mobile terminal; a sensor to determine whether the externaldevice is electrically connected to the connection unit according to anopen-closed status of a switch end; a send/end controller to check alevel information of the connection unit and pass the level informationto a main processor according to sensing of the sensor, wherein thelevel information has a different voltage level according to a type ofconnected external device; an external device controller to control theexternal device, if the external device is connected to the mobileterminal, by receiving the control signal from the main processor; andthe main processor to generate a control signal to control the externaldevice according to the level information if the external device iselectrically connected to the connection unit.
 6. A method forautomatically detecting the presence of an external device in a port ofa mobile terminal, comprising: determining if a switch end of aconnection unit has an open status; checking a level information of theconnection unit, wherein the level information has a different voltagelevel according to a type of connected external device; determining thetype of external device electrically connected to the connection unitaccording to the voltage level of the level information; and enabling anexternal device controller if the external device is electricallyconnected to the connection unit.